Scottish Greens call for reinstatement of fired Rockstar Games workers

Ross Greer, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens, has called for the reinstatement of workers fired from video game developer Rockstar Games.

Last month, Rockstar games fired 31 employees from its UK-based studio operation, in an act described by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) as “union busting”. 

The developer, which produces some of the world’s most popular video games, said in a statement to Bloomberg that they had fired staff for distributing confidential information.

“The Scottish Greens stand with the dozens of workers sacked by Rockstar Games for exercising their right to organise a union,” tweeted Greer on X. “Reinstate them now, then get around the table and give your staff the pay and conditions they deserve for making you billions.”

The IWGB has accused Rockstar Games of firing employees due to their involvement in a private trade union Discord channel, where staff discussed unionising. 

Protests were held outside the office of Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, in London and Rockstar’s office in Edinburgh, where the popular Grand Theft Auto (GTA) franchise was developed.

“Rockstar has just carried out the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry,” said IWGB President Alex Marshall. “This flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions is an insult to their fans and the global industry.”

Rockstar Games released GTA V, the second best-selling game of all time, in 2013. The game has made an estimated $10bn for the studio. Despite its age, the game remains very popular with players due to consistent updates and an online multiplayer mode.

“Next year, Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to make upwards of $10 billion,” said Spring Mcparlin-Jones, chair of the IWGB Game Workers Union. “That’s enough to end world hunger for a year. Such a flagrant attack on workers’ rights from such a valuable studio sends a very clear and shocking message to the world, that money matters more than people.”

GTA VI, the next instalment of the video game series, has been delayed until November 2026. The much-anticipated video game was already delayed once before, moving its launch date from autumn 2025 to spring 2026.  

“Grand Theft Auto VI will now release on Thursday, November 19, 2026,” Rockstar Games wrote in a statement on its website. “We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realise has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve. We want to thank you again for your patience and support.”

This announcement has caused major upset within the video game community, with fans calling for the game to be released as soon as possible.

Take-Two Interactive has been contacted for comment.